Masters of the Air: What is a subaltern?

In Masters of the Air Episode 6, Harry Crosby meets Alessandra Wesgate, an officer with the ATS – or, as she’s known, a “subaltern.”

After the devastation of Episode 5, which sent the 100th on their deadliest mission to date over Munster, this week’s episode is somewhat calmer, at least for the men back in England.

While Bucky tries to survive in Nazi Germany, Rosie is sent for a week of R&R at Coombe House, a haven for allied soldiers at risk of becoming “flak happy” and overwhelmed by PTSD. Meanwhile, Crosby is sent to represent the 100th at a conference in Oxford, mainly to give him a bit of time to grieve after Bubbles’ death.

Shortly after he arrives, he meets his roommate: A.M. Wesgate, a subaltern – but what does that mean?

Masters of the Air: What is a subaltern?

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A subaltern is the term given to a junior officer in the British army. Specifically in World War II, subaltern was the equivalent of lieutenant for women serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

This was carried over into the ATS’ successor, the Women’s Royal Army Corps, but gender-specific ranks (including junior commander, senior commander and controller, as well as subaltern) were abandoned in 1952 in favor of regular military ranks.

Fun fact: before her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II was a subaltern with the ATS in 1942. “The only difference was when we finished work at five o’clock we went back to our barracks, whereas Elizabeth was picked up and taken to Windsor Castle,” as per BBC News.

As for Wesgate, the show has yet to reveal her actual role in the war. She’s called away at the end of Episode 6, but she doesn’t tell Crosby why or where she’s going. Fans on Reddit suspect she may be working with the codebreakers at Bletchley Park, or she may even be a spy.

Masters of the Air Episodes 1-6 are streaming on Apple TV+, which you can sign up for here. You can also check out our other coverage below:

Review | Premiere recap | Episode 3 recap | Episode 4 recap | Episode 5 recap | Episode 6 recap | Release schedule: Dates & episodes | Cast and real-life characters | Filming locations | Is it a Band of Brothers sequel? | Soundtrack & songs | Is Barry Keoghan’s Curt dead? | Did Buck die? | What happened to Babyface?

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