 He was fluent in English and knowledgeable about British customs and some American ones, which helped him to gain the trust and friendship of many of his prisoners.In addition, he could empathize with the captured Allied aviators, drawing on the fact that he was not only married to an Englishwoman but also a son-in-law of a World War I British fighter ace (Claude Stokes, as noted above).Some high-profile prisoners were treated to outings to German airfields (one POW was even allowed to take a Bf 109 fighter for a trial run), tea with German fighter aces, swimming pool excursions, and luncheons, among other things.