This happened to my father about 20 years ago just a year before he died.
I went over to see him to see how he was, and noticed that both of his hands were blue and swollen. So I asked him what he had been doing.
He replied:" I was just driving out early to get the groceries. I was driving east as the sun came up, and suddenly there was a flash of sunlight, and I saw two Me-109s to my right. I grabbed the steering wheel so hard that I hurt my hands, mainly my thumbs trying to hit the Browning 50 cal triggers."
He flew 83 missions in B17s, mostly in 1943 over North Africa, which is why he survived I guess. He can be seen in the original "Memphis Belle" movie, after climbing out of the rear turret.
HB
