text: Field Marshall Erwin Rommel sporting his famous goggles which were in fact a five from British Major General Michael Gambier-Parry . He was the one German leader in the Second World War who the British regarded with honour. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel gained respect from his foes for his tactical acumen and sense of fairness during the battle for North Africa. Rommel, nicknamed the Desert Fox, also became an iconic wartime figure – and the stylish goggles he famously wore across his peak cap became part of the myth. Now the story of how the German came to be in possession of the goggles can be told for the first time. They were given to him by a British prisoner as a gift to thank him for retrieving a stolen hat. Major General Michael Gambier-Parry, of the 2nd Armoured Division, was captured with 2,000 of his men by Rommel in Mechili, Libya, in 1941. The German field marshal invited the British officer to dine with him in a gesture of military camaraderie. The pair shared good wine and smoked ‘excellent cigars’, according to Gambier-Parry’s granddaughter, Liza Donoghue, 67. During the meal, Gambier-Parry complained that a German soldier had taken his hat. A furious Rommel then took it upon himself to get the garment back to his prisoner. And when Rommel later found Gambier-Parry’s Army goggles in a staff car, he asked the British officer if he could keep them and Gambier-Parry agreed. Scroll down for video . German Panzer Mk III and a command vehicle in Libya during the North African campaign. Major General Gambier-Parry was captured by Rommel in Mechili, Libya, in 1941, before they had their amazing exchange . Rommel committed suicide in October 1944 after taking part in a failed plot to kill Hitler. Mrs Donoghue, of Bristol, said of her grandfather: ‘He respected Rommel. He always said that he was a fair general.’ The goggles are now housed in a museum dedicated to Rommel in Herrlingen, Germany.
target: Rommel, nicknamed the Desert Fox, became an iconic wartime figure .
  He was known for the stylish goggles he wore across his peak cap .
  They were actually a gift from British Major General Michael Gambier-Parry .
  He gave them to Rommel after the general helped retrieve his stolen hat .