Marseille's friendship with his adopted helper also is used to show his anti-Nazi character. In 1942, Marseille befriended a South African Army prisoner of war, Corporal Mathew Letulu, nicknamed "Mathias". Marseille took him as a personal helper rather than allow him to be sent to a prisoner of war camp in Europe. Over time, Marseille and Mathias became inseparable. Marseille was concerned how Mathias would be treated by other units of the "Wehrmacht" and once remarked "Where I go, Mathias goes." Marseille secured promises from his senior commander, Neumann, that if anything should happen to him Mathias was to be kept with the unit. Mathias duly remained with JG 27 until the end of the war and attended post-war reunions until his death in 1984.