How They Knew Bob Was A German Spy In Masters Of The Air

This article contains spoilers for Masters of the Air episode 4.

As Masters of the Air episode 4 expands beyond Thorpe Abbotts, showing Sgt. William Quinn’s story of escape, the series briefly delves into the existence of German spies via the character Bob, who reveals himself with one subtle detail. In episode 3, Quinn’s plane sustains serious damage during the dangerous Regensburg mission and he must evacuate. After being unable to save Babyface from the turret gunner hatch, Quinn escapes and finds himself in Belgium, where he is given a choice. He can either become a POW or risk his life by escaping. Episode 4 shows his escape.

Quinn’s first order of business is to meet with the Belgium citizens who are going to help him leave the country. When he arrives, he finds Sgt. Bailey is also seeking escape, along with an unfamiliar soldier named Bob. The three men are given a test by the Belgians. First, it includes regular information like their names and CO numbers, but the test quickly goes sideways as the Belgians ask about Babe Ruth and insist the men sing America’s National Anthem. Just a scene later, as the group is walking toward escape, the Belgians kill Bob for being a spy.

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How Bob Wrote The Date Seemingly Gave Him Away In Masters Of The Air Episode 4

Due to the initial randomness of the Belgians test, it may be hard to decipher how Bob gave himself away as a German spy. He spoke with an American accent and was able to proudly and accurately sing the National Anthem. Ultimately, it comes down to the very end of the test, when Bob wrote the date.

While Masters of the Air does not blatantly state that this was the major giveaway, it seems like a strong theory. When Quinn and Bailey demand to know why the Belgians killed Bob, they reply that they are positive he was German, claiming that they are never wrong. Perhaps during his full test Bob got other subtle questions wrong as well, which led the Belgians to believe he was German. In the end, Bob’s date was the biggest clue for audiences that he was an undercover spy.

Is Masters Of The Air’s Bob Based On A True Story?

Although there are no records of Sgt. William Quinn’s escape from Belgium, meaning Bob was fictionalized, the existence of German spies was most definitely real, and Bob’s situation could easily have happened during World War II. Even before America entered the war, German spies infiltrated different segments of the war. According to the FBI, an entire ring of German spies called the Duquesne Spy Ring were apprehended the week after Pearl Harbor for espionage. In this way, Bob from Masters of the Air might not have existed, but individuals like him were very real and very dangerous.