 "Tills" was assigned to Escort Division (CortDiv) 53 and conducted trials and shakedown off San Diego, California, before post-shakedown availability at Terminal Island.On 16 October, the ship departed the west coast in the screen for Task Group (TG) 19.5, which included escort carriers , , , and .She reached Pearl Harbor on the 23rd and took part in anti-submarine operations in Hawaiian waters for the remainder of 1944.