Rory,
This is very much to be hoped for and I know, from personal experience, that it is something that you have personally and actively encouraged and supported. I hope none of the following comes across as either “sour grapes” or recriminatory. I cannot claim to have undertaken a comprehensive review of all UK universities, teaching and research staff, but IMO there are only a very few centres of expertise that could combine the academic rigour, historical, military and linguistic expertise to support such studies. Certainly anyone who is a PhD candidate at Cambridge 1) must be an excellent scholar and 2) will receive the highest level of academic support. But there is a need for more (and more accessible) centres of excellence, in order that candidates with good ideas for PhD study can be successful and hopefully go on to publish. I think King’s College London, with its Lusofone heritage *, and War Studies centre of excellence, is one such possibility. Ironically I was eventually accepted at King’s College, following a couple of unsuccessful attempts to progress my MA, but could not afford to take up the offer at the time and now work around the corner – so very frustrating. Perhaps something may be forthcoming in the War, Culture and Society (1750-1850) series? https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/bfm%3A978-1-137-36347-3%2F1.pdf

* Department of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies
Best wishes
A