the minimum civil experience they allow for grant of the basic licence is 12 months for a skilled worker.
So you need 12 months of recorded civil work across the spectrum of your trade.Your military log book gates you the right of the reduced experience.
At the start of the caa log book is a list of skills and tasks which you can get signed off as you go like crimping and such like.
I completed these and with my workpack of experience had no issues.
I know of several X military guys who didn't bother with the tasks in the log books who then had to go and take training at a part 147 establishment to satisfy the CAA inspector issuing the licence.