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At 5am on 4 April (Good Friday), 4 Platoon (Lt GJ Dunlop) in a night ambush position observed some 30-enemy moving quickly with about 5 metres between men.  The Platoon engaged the enemy with a bank of (4) Claymore Mines and when they went into a counter ambush drill, were suppressed by a GPMG M60. There were at least ten casualties including four killed one who was an Officer; both he and one other were probably Chinese. The enemy had also been carrying a VHF Radio of the AN-PRC 25 type because the sentry could hear the squelch going on and off.

On 4 April, D Company which had harboured near a bunker system sent 11 Platoon (Sgt AE Jackson) to patrol to an enemy track running alongside a creek. At about 8 am the Platoon located the track, deployed around it and sent a Section forward to the creek; in doing so the Forward Scout (Pte GA Pike) saw a bunker and heard voices and after being joined by the Section Commander (Cpl GN Dunne) threw a grenade. The Section also fired at two more enemy and was then itself engaged by heavy MG and automatic weapon fire fatally wounding Pte Pike and wounding several others including the Section Commander. The Section Machine Gunner (Pte JDC Burridge) moved forward and despite his wounds maintained accurate fire to prevent the enemy from moving into bunkers on the Platoon’s flanks.

By this time the Platoon’s other sections had closed up and were laying heavy fire on the enemy position however, they also were subject to RPG and small arms fire with further casualties. A US Army Light Fire Team was called to assist in the extraction of 11 Platoon as did 12 Platoon (WO2 JW Sizeland) which also came under heavy fire. During this time efforts were made to extract the casualties including by the Platoon’s Stretcher Bearer (Pte FT Fitch). Some four hours later both Platoons were able to break contact and return to the Company base which then withdrew to allow airstrikes and medium artillery to pound the enemy position. Two men had been killed (Pte GA Pike and Pte JMT White) and eleven wounded in the action

The Canberra Times (ACT) Monday 7 April 1969 Pg 3

Two Australians killed Two Australian soldiers were killed in action, and 12 wounded during enemy contacts in Longh Kanh province, Vietnam, on Friday. The dead included one national serviceman, and the 12 wounded. All the wounded men are in a very satisfactory condition and have been ad mitted to either the 1st Australian field Hospital, Vung Tau, the 8th Field Ambulance, Nui Dat, or the 24th Evacuation Hospital at Longh Bin. Those killed were: Private Geoffrey Anthony, Pike, 26, married, of Bilgola Heights, NSW, Private James Mungo Thomas White, national serviceman, 21, single, of Cardiff, Western Australia.

Stiff resistance from Vietcong A report from Nui Dat said Australian troops had run into stiff Vietcong resistance in a sweep through thick jungle country honeycombed with bunkers about 120 miles north of here. The 5th and 9th Battalions, supported by Australian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and guns together with New Zealand artillery and American armour launched the sweep, codenamed Operation Overlander four days ago.

In an all-day action on Friday, 5th Battalion troops called in American airstrikes and brought up 1st Armoured Regiment Centurion tanks to destroy bunker complexes being stubbornly defended by the Vietcong. The brunt of the fighting was taken by 5th Battalion's D company.

Nine Vietcong were killed and 17 wounded on Friday. Grease covered rifles, packed in crates, medical supplies, ammunition, food and documents have been unearthed in the area. The operation marks a new offensive phase in Australian operations after the task force played a defensive role in Operation Federal around the giant American base at Long Binh in Bien Hoa province. The force has now re turned to neighbouring Phuoc Tuy province, its normal area of operations. Operation Overlander aims at uncovering and destroying Vietcong bunker and supply systems and keeping guerrilla units moving.

Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY — Thursday, 20 August 2015] p5731d-5732a Mr. Mick Murray JAMES MUNGO WHITE Statement by Member for Collie–Preston MR M.P. MURRAY (Collie–Preston) [12.57 pm]:

Recently, I attended ceremonies to honour young men who committed their service to the Vietnam conflict on behalf of Australia. We honoured in particular the men who returned home with physical and mental scars and those who sadly did not come home at all. I would like to speak briefly now about a young man from Collie, named James Mungo White, who fought and died in Vietnam in 1969 at the age of only 21.

Private White was honoured on Tuesday morning in his home town after the 5th Battalion Association selected him as this year’s fallen soldier to be given its special annual dedication. My constituents and I are very thankful that the association chose one of our Collie boys to be recognised with this important posthumous honour on this very important day. I would like to now share a few brief details of James’s life and service history in honour of his sacrifice.

Private White was born and raised in Collie and still has family members living in the town, including his mother and his twin brothers, Ron and Ross. He lived in the Collie–Cardiff region and was a true country boy. His hobbies included fishing, marroning and collecting boronia in the spring. Life was simple before he was called up for service in 1968 as a rifleman. James spent time in the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, before later being posted to the 5th Battalion. James was tragically killed in enemy battle on 4 April 1969 in Phuoc Tuy province, less than a year after he enlisted. Private White’s young age made his death all the more tragic. Like so many families of the good young men we lost in that war, his family have been left wondering what could have been in the years that have passed. On behalf of this house, I would like to acknowledge the 5th Battalion for James’s dedication service, which helped to comfort his family and let them know that his sacrifice has not been and will not be forgotten.