 During the summer of 1943, Tibenham was assigned to the 2d Bombardment Wing (later the 2d Air Division) and was used by a few Consolidated B-24 Liberator training aircraft, but it was not until November that the first combat units and their aircraft arrived.Tibenham became home to the 445th Bombardment Group (Heavy) of the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force.The 445th arrived from Sioux City Army Air Base, Iowa on 4 November 1943.