During WWII, a few captured German generals were held in a stately, elegant home with very comfortable living arrangements and provided brandy, wine, and excellent food. They were allowed personal servants and had other luxuries. Why was this done?

Thousands of German POWs held captive in England during World War II were bugged by "secret listeners" who were themselves, German refugees, working for the British. The prisoners were lulled into divulging secrets of the Nazi war machine. They were held in a stately home, they were allowed to keep personal servants, drink wine and eat good food.

As a result, they boasted of how stupid the British were, and one even wrote to his family to wish that they could join him at his prison, as he rated it so highly. But what the prisoners did not know was that British intelligence had bugged every part of their accommodation, from lampshades and plant pots right down to the billiards table around which they relaxed on lazy days.They were gleaning information about the psyche of the Nazi military from the idle gossip flowing between the prisoners.