Hi BB-I'll start the ball rolling if I can dredge fading memory for basic experience at the game. I joined the Javelin force in 58 and served on 85 Sqn until 61 as a Nav/Rad (actually an NCO Radio Observer but we did the same job in the back seat).
I seem to recall "Fabulous" was also termed "Halyard" at times but cannot remember if there was any specific difference.
We held cockpit readiness at 2 mins reaction through the night period with crews rotating at 90 miinutes intervals. The readiness aircraft were position on the ORP at the end of the duty runway plugged into the "telebrief"- a direct connection to the GCI unit (Bawdsey in our case) through which, if required, the scramble order was passed. The crew had "cocked" the aircraft for instant start up and could easily meet a scramble to lift off in 2 minutes. A scramble order was top priority whatever else was happening and ATC/Ops also received the order from the GCI station.
On liftoff we tuned onto the directed vector and climbed flatout for the required altitude contacting our control agency on the way. The rest was standard interception/recognition procedure.
After 61 I transitioned to the front seat and the low level attack/interdiction/recce game and only returned to air defence in the 80s with the Chivenor Hawks playing the mixed fighter force concept but the basics were still the same.
Hopefully former colleagues will have better memories (more grey cells around) and can add further to the story.
Happy days.