The units known to be assigned to the base were: From Kairouan, Operation Ladbroke, the British glider landing near Syracuse, Sicily.

On the night of 9/10 July 1943 a force of 144 Waco gliders, towed by US C-47, and British Handley Page Halifax and Albemarle tug aircraft, took off to take part in Operation Ladbroke – the first Allied attempt at a mass glider landing in World War II.

The plan was to place a large invasion force on the ground near the town of Syracuse, secure the Ponte Grande Bridge and then take control of the city itself, including its strategically vital docks, as a prelude to the full-scale invasion of Sicily.

Today, one (possibly two) main runways can be seen in aerial photography, along with traces of taxiways and dispersal pads.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency