parabellum: Not so. Hamble graduates could join as young as 20 years. The Part 5 Pension gave a 1/56 credit for each year of service (ie. 28 years service gave a 50% of final salary pension which could be taken at 50 years of age) Staying employed after 50 till 55 allowed a "crystallisation" of the pension which gave a further substantial increase in the pension.
Sadly, such generosity is a thing long since gone!