Following the fall of Mubo, the 2/5th Battalion was ordered to occupy the Goodview area on the high ground north of the Bitoi River. This would enable a shorter supply line from the coast at Tambu Bay to be opened, relieving the strain on aerial supply and on the hard-pressed native carriers bringing supplies from Wau. On 10 July Conroy had received orders to move two companies to relieve the 2/3rd Independent Company at Goodview Junction. Captain Bill Morse's C Company moved forward along Vial's Track from Observation Hill towards Goodview Junction on 12 July and, the next morning, Captain Cam Bennett's B Company followed; the two companies combined late that afternoon to form Bennett Force. Bennett also provided food and ammunition to Warfe's hard-pressed men. Captain Mick Walters’ A Company and Captain Lin Cameron's D Company moved up behind Bennett Force over the next few days. Captain Delmar Newman's C Company from the US 1/162 Battalion was also attached to Conroy's command.

Captain Vernon ‘Mick’ Walters was a 23-year-old Tasmanian who had enlisted in 1939 and had been commissioned in July 1940. He had arrived in the Middle East in 1941 as a 2/12th Battalion reinforcement but had been transferred to the 2/5th Battalion soon thereafter. When his battalion had been deployed to New Guinea, Walters had flown into Wau and fought that battle in command of 17 Platoon before being promoted to captain and given command of A Company.