▁ 1 ▁Squadron . ▁ ▁Hel ic opter ▁squad ron ▁ ▁No . ▁ 1 2 ▁Squadron ▁was ▁re - formed ▁at ▁Am ber ley ▁on ▁ 3 ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁fly ▁the ▁RA AF ' s ▁twelve ▁new ▁CH - 4 7 C ▁Ch ino ok ▁hel ic op ters . ▁The ▁hel ic op ters ▁were ▁sh ipped ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁Br is b ane ▁on ▁board ▁the ▁aircraft ▁car rier ▁, ▁and ▁arrived ▁in ▁Australia ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁The ▁squad ron ▁made ▁its ▁first ▁flight ▁in ▁the ▁aircraft ▁on ▁ 8 ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁and ▁was ▁declared ▁oper ational ▁with ▁the ▁type ▁in ▁December ▁that ▁year . ▁The ▁Ch ino oks ▁were ▁primarily ▁used ▁to ▁support ▁Australian ▁Army ▁units ▁based ▁in ▁northern ▁Australia , ▁though ▁they ▁also ▁occasionally ▁conducted ▁air - se a ▁res c ues , ▁provided ▁flo od ▁relief ▁and ▁performed ▁a ▁range ▁of ▁other ▁tasks ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁civil ▁authorities . ▁Un us ual ▁tasks ▁included ▁placing ▁l ighth ouses ▁in ▁isolated ▁locations ▁and ▁air ▁condition ing ▁plants ▁on ▁the ▁roof s ▁of ▁tall ▁buildings ▁and ▁supporting ▁police ▁anti - n arc ot ics ▁operations . ▁In ▁late ▁August ▁ 1 9 8 0 ▁one ▁of ▁No . ▁ 1 2 ▁Squadron ' s ▁Ch ino oks ▁fle w ▁from ▁Am ber ley ▁to ▁Malays ia ▁to ▁recover ▁a ▁crash ed ▁Royal ▁Malays ian ▁Air ▁Force ▁S - 6 1 ▁N