Obergefreiter Hanns-Joachin Schraff was considered the best of the Interrogators at Dulag Luft. He gained the reputation of magically getting all the answers he needed from the Prisoners-of-War, often
with the POWs never realizing that their words, small talk or otherwise, were important pieces of the mosaic. It is said he always treated his prisoners with respect and dignity and by using psychic and not physical techniques, he was able to make them drop their guard and converse with him even though they were conditioned to remain silent. One prisoner commented that: " Hans could probaly get a confession of infidelity from a nun".
Obergefreiter Schraff personally stepped into a search for information that saved the lives of six US Prisoners-of-War when the SS wanted to execute them. Many acts of kindness by Obergefreiter Schraff to sick and dying American POWs are documented. He would regularly visit some of the more seriously ill POWs and arrange to make their accomodations better. At one time "Die Luftwaffe" (The German Air Force)had him under investigation. After the war he was invited by the USAF to give speeches about his methods to military audiences in the United States and he eventually moved to the US. Obergefreiter Hanns-Joachim Schraff was seldom reqired to wear a uniform. Though only an Obergefreiter (Lance Corporal)he was believed by many POWs to be a high ranking officer.
General Jimmy Doolittle was one of the first to extend the hand of friendship to Hanns-Joachin Schraff after the war, inviting him to a luncheon where they compared notes. Later he was invited to the home of Colonel Hub Zemke who thereafter would send him what he called a "Red Cross Parcel" every Christmas. And thirty-eight years after he was Hanns_Joachin's "guest" at Dulag Luft, Colonel Francis "Gabby" Gabreski was a quest of honor at Hanns-Joachim's 75th birtday party.
It should be remembered that Obergefreiter Schraff was the exception at Dulag Luft and there were other Interrogators that were nothing at all like him. Their treatment of the POWs were more of a physical and threating nature.
Hanns-Joachim Schraff died September 12, 1992 at the age of 84.