t7a/TTN,
Quite right. I can't recall where it was for Cyprus however
During flight to dispersal after declaration of alert condition 1 crews not only remained radio silent but were instructed to have all radios switched off 'to avoid getting confusing messages'. On the dispersal flight the weapon could not be dropped live and there was insufficient fuel for a war mission.
One confusion could be hearing the QRA and main base aircraft being scrambled. The other, slightly less confusing, could the dawning of the sun in the west etc.
However once cocked and then launched on an authenticated scramble the crews would head east as stated. In the event of not receiving an authenticated go message the instructions were to return to take-off airfield.
Now the Release may have been issued and not received because of jamming or the transmitters being destroyed or indeed the command centres destroyed before the release was authorised.
There were, as far as I know, no instructions on what to do if on returning west you saw only a nuclear holocaust. Would you do as in Doctor Strangelove and retaliate or would you obey orders to the end, reach the UK, and then . . .