What the OP has is a 44A; it doesn't say 'A' anywhere, but that's what the model is. This is the only one of the three Yashica 44 cameras where you have to use the red window for all 12 pictures: see the three Yashica 44s at Camera-wiki. The original 44 has a reciprocating film-advance lever, which will wind until you have advanced one frame, then lock up until you expose. The 44LM has a winding knob, which again locks when you have wound far enough.
I have my 44LM here. Like Murray's camera, the red window is in the middle. You only use it at the start of the roll; you wind until you get the number '1' in the window, then you slide the cover over the window, and press the little knob on the side that resets the frame counter. So yes, you use the 'Frame 1' marking of the 1-8 numbers. At the other end of the film, when you have exposed number 12, the camera will wind as much as you like, since you're now taking up all the tail of backing paper.