Gay Powers "Myths and Truths"
The Silver Dollar scratch suicide pin, (Bridge of Spies) No one was told to commit suicide. At the beginning of the program, the CIA dispensed a cyanide pill to U2 Pilots These ere to be used ONLY if the pilot was severely injured and FAVOURED Euthanasia himself.
During his time in the Vladimir jail he had a cellmate named Zygurds Kruminsh. Powers was treated well by the Soviet Guards and occupied his time by cross stitching rugs.
The US wanted a three way swap for Abels. Powers, Pryor, and Marvin Makinnen. Makinnen was a Willy Brandt exchange student and the Free University of Berlin and caught spying in the Soviet Union. He was arrested in Kiev. He was swapped with Polish American Rev. Walter Ciszek for two Soviet agents Ivan Egorov and his wife Alexandra, who were U.N. functionaries. I am not sure where the swap took place (Germany or the USSR).
I translated notes from one of the 36 Survivors of Battleship Scharnhorst (Battle of the North Cape) 26th December 1943) Wilhelm Krusse spoke about Interrogation by the British when being brought to Latimer House (Near Amersham) before his removal as POW to the USA in 1944. He wrote. "Endless interrogation, Unbelievably bad, sometimes Horrible. He was interrogated longer than other survivors / POW's because he had served on Battleship Tirpitz before Battleship Scharnhorst final battle, and the British wanted to know as much about the Tirpitz as possible so they could finally sink it..
Lance Shippey