Accounts regarding the events followings his capture differ depending on the source. Ernst Obermaier and Werner Held, authors of the 1996 biography "Fighter Pilot Colonel Werner Mölders - Images and Documents", state that while in French captivity, Mölders asked to shake hands with the pilot who had shot him down and learned that Pomier-Layrargues had been killed in action 30 minutes after their encounter. The authors claim that Mölders initial experience in French captivity was harsh; he sustained abrasions to his face and his Knight's Cross was stolen from him. A French officer, "Capitaine" Giron, intervened, ensured he was treated fairly, and returned the stolen medal. When a French soldier was later sentenced to death by the Germans for beating Mölders, Mölders approached Hermann Göring and requested clemency, which was granted.