Antonio Crabbia was from Castelfranco Emilia (Modena).

In February 1941, Crabbia belonged to the 160^o Gruppo C.T. At this time this unit took part in the Greek campaign and was equipped with Fiat CR.42s.

On 9 February 1941 18 S.79s from the 104^o Gruppo were out to bomb in the Kelcyre-Tepelene area. These bombers were escorted by twelve Fiat G.50bis fighters from the 24^o Gruppo led by Maggiore Eugenio Leotta, and twelve Fiat CR.42s from the 160^o Gruppo, led by Tenente Edoardo Crainz. Four Greek Gladiators of 21 Mira (Sminagos Ioanis Kellas (CO of 21 Mira), Anthiposminagos Anastasios Bardivilias, Episminias Ilias Dimitrakopoulos and Episminias Nikolaos Kostorizos) and eight PZLs from 22 and 23 Mire intercepted the formation.
The Greek fighters didn’t manage to penetrate the fighter screen, and a series of hectic dogfights started with the Italian escort. Overclaiming was heavy on both sides and the Greek pilots claimed eight enemy fighters, Kellas claimed two while Bardivilias, Dimitrakopoulos and Kostorizos claimed one enemy aircraft each. Episminas Epaminondas Dagoulas of 22 Mira claimed one fighter while Yposminagos Marinos Mitralexes from the same unit claimed one fighter over Berat; Mitralexes also claimed one additional fighter and a probable during the combat. The Greek Army confirmed the eight victories, and this was also confirmed by a Mr. Roussos, a journalist of the newspaper ELEYTHERON BHMA, who was on the ground with the troops as a war correspondent. His report is a first-hand account and also gives the enthusiasm of the Greek soldiers while the Italian planes fell to the ground.
The Gladiators flown by Kellas and Dimitrakopoulos were both hard hit during the combat but it was possible to repair these fighters. Yposminagos Kotronis was shot down, but he managed to force-land his PZL, totally destroying it in the process. He escaped, however, only lightly wounded. A second PZL was shot up by three fighters and Episminias (Sergeant) John Michopoulos of 22 Mira was wounded in the thigh, but he managed to get back to Salonika/Sedes and land. Other aircraft returned damaged.
The G.50bis pilots in return claimed one Gladiator and three PZLs shot down, while the pilots from the 160^o Gruppo submitted claims for three Gladiators (one each by Tenente Crainz, Sergente Maggiore Luciano Tarantini and Sergente Maggiore Aurelio Munich) and two PZLs (Sottotenente Raoul Francinetti and Sergente Crabbia).
It seems that no Italian fighters were lost on this occasion.

Later 160^o Gruppo C.T. returned to Italy for a rest and at the end of 1941 the unit was in North Africa on ground attack duties.

At daylight on 27 January 1942 Blenheims of 21 Squadron were sent off from Malta to search for an enemy convoy, Squadron Leader C. A. White leading a sweep from east of the Gulf of Gabes, to Zuara. Some 20 miles off Zaezis, a freighter of an estimated 5000 tons was located, escorted by a destroyer and three CR.42s of 160^o Gruppo Autonomo C.T. As White manoeuvred his formation, seeking an opportunity to strike, one of the patrolling fighters, flown by Sergente Crabbia, broke away and latched onto two of the Blenheims, forcing the formation to scatter and, hence, the leader to call off the attack. Both Pilot Officer Booth's Z7288/S and Sergeant G. R. Cameron's Z7341/X were hit; the latter aircraft had its cupola shot away, Sergeant George Hancock, the Welsh air gunner, narrowly escaping injury.

In 1943, Crabbia flew Re.2001s from Olbia-Venafiorita (Sardinia).

At 11:45 on 24 May 1943, 36 B-25s of the 310th BG attacked Olbia and Venafiorita airfield. At Olbia two freighters, the Italian Nirvo (5,164 tons) and the German Tana (5,535 tons) were sunk by bombs. After the attack a reported six-eight Axis fighters intervened, bomber gunners claiming two Bf 109s shot down and one probable together with a probable Re.2001 between 14:15-14:30 between Olbia and Venafiorita. The claiming gunners all came from 381st BS:
Staff Sergeant M. L. Bozovich (B-25C 41-13074) claimed one destroyed Bf 109
Staff Sergeant J. W. White (B-25D 41-29980) claimed one destroyed Bf 109
Staff Sergeant F. E. Miller (B-25D 41-29962) claimed one probable Bf 109 and one probable Re.2001
B-25D 41-29962 from 31st BS was damaged by fighters over Venafiorita airfield but landed safely with the pilot 2nd Lieutenant Richard D. Denton and his crew safe.
29 P-38s of the 82nd FG escorted 102 B-17s of the four groups to Olbia and La Maddalena, twelve of the P-38s carrying tanks to allow them to make a dive attack on this target. The P-38s also became involved in combat with the Axis fighters. Between 14:20-14:30, the P-38s from 97th FS claimed three destroyed Bf 109s, one probable, one destroyed and one damaged Re.2001 over Alghero airfield. Claiming pilots were:
1st Lieutenant Henry Litchfield – one damaged Bf 109
2nd Lieutenant Henry F. Reager – one destroyed Bf 109
2nd Lieutenant Gerald Lynn 'Gerry' Rounds (P-38G) – one destroyed Bf 109
2nd Lieutenant John P. Stover – one destroyed Bf 109 and one probably destroyed Bf 109
2nd Lieutenant Russell C. Williams – one damaged Re.2001
The 96th FS recorded combat between 14:30-14:35 over a landing ground 1,5km south of Olbia and making claims for two destroyed MC.202s, one probable and seven damaged:
1st Lieutenant Frank A. Duncan – three damaged MC.202s
Flying Officer Frank Damon Hurlbut (P-38G) – one damaged MC.202
2nd Lieutenant Clarence Oscar 'Tuffy' 'C.O.' Johnson (P-38G) – one destroyed MC.202
Flying Officer John R. Rawson – one probably destroyed MC.202
1st Lieutenant William Judson 'Dixie' Sloan (P-38G) – one damaged MC.202
2nd Lieutenant Herman S. Solem – one destroyed MC.202
2nd Lieutenant Donn C. Warr – one damaged MC.202
Several P-38s were shot up but only one was lost when 1st Lieutenant Charles J. Zubarik from 96th FS (P-38G 42-13054) was shot down at around 14:30 near Olbia and he became a PoW.
No German unit took part in this combat, but Regia Aeronautica reported that the raid had been targeted by five MC.202s of the 24^o Gruppo from Alghero and six Re.2001s of the 160^o Gruppo from Venafiorita. The Italian fighters became involved in combat with the escorting P-38s and made claims for seven shot down and three probably destroyed. The 24^o Gruppo reported combat between 13:25-14:55 and Maresciallo Giuseppe Di Santo (354^a Squadriglia) claimed one P-38 over Alghero while the pilots from the 370^a Squadriglia intercepted the P-38s off Porto Conte where Sergente Maggiore Renato Mazzotti and Tenente Piero Riparbelli claimed one destroyed each while one destroyed and two more probably destroyed were shared by Sottotenente Rodolfo Bergamini, Sergente Cassio Poggi and Sergente Maggiore Ottavio Pozza. The Re.2001s from 394^a Squadriglia, 160^o Gruppo, intercepted the P-38s in the Venafiorita area between 13:25-14:35 and Sergente Maggiore Crabbia (MM7302) claimed one destroyed, Sergente Maggiore Bruno Valenti (MM9932) claimed one destroyed and Sergente Dante Baiutti (MM90766) claimed one destroyed and one probably destroyed.
24^o Gruppo lost one MC.202 when Sergente Ottorino Salvetti (354^a Squadriglia) was shot down over Sardinia and killed.

In August he got malaria and was transferred to Hospital in Pisa.

Crabbia ended the war with 1 biplane victory and a total of 3.

Crabbia passed away in Castelfranco on 21 September 1998.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1941
1	09/02/41		1	PZL P.24 (a)	Destroyed	Fiat CR.42		Kelcyre-Tepelene area	160o Gruppo
	1942
	27/01/42		1	Blenheim (b)	Damaged	Fiat CR.42		20 miles off Zaezis	160o Gruppo
	27/01/42		1	Blenheim (b)	Damaged	Fiat CR.42		20 miles off Zaezis	160o Gruppo
	1943
2	24/05/43	13:45-14:35	1	P-38 (c)	Destroyed	Re.2001	MM7302	Venafiorita area	394a Squadriglia
3	24/06/43		1	P-38	Destroyed	Re.2001			160o Gruppo

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged.
TOTAL: 3 destroyed, 2 damaged.
(a) Claimed in combat with fighters from 21, 22, 22 Mire. The 24^o and 160^o Gruppi claimed five PZLs and four Gladiators without loss. The Greek fighters claimed eight enemy fighters for the loss of one PZL while several more were damaged.
(b) Blenheims Z7288/S (Pilot Officer Booth) and Z7341/X (Sergeant G. R. Cameron) of 21 Squadron damaged.
(c) Claimed in combat with P-38s from the 82nd FG which claimed 3 destroyed Bf 109s, 1 probable, 1 destroyed and 1 damaged Re.2001 while losing 1 P-38 (pilot PoW). The 24^o and 160^o Gruppi claimed 7 destroyed and 3 probables while losing 1 MC.202 (pilot KiA).

Sources:
A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945: Volume Four – Christopher Shores and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk, Winfried Bock and Wg Cdr Andy Thomas, 2018 Grub Street, London, ISBN-13: 9781911621102
Air war for Yugoslavia, Greece and Crete - Christopher Shores, Brian Cull and Nicola Malizia, 1987 Grub Street, London, ISBN 0-948817-07-0
Elenco Nominativo dei Militari dell' A. M. Decorati al V. M. Durante it Periodo 1929 - 1945 1 Volume A - L
Additional information kindly provided by Pierpaolo Maglio and Dimitrios Vassilopoulos.