Soldiers during First World War. Royal Army Medical Corps (information from Ian Hook, formerly of Essex Regiment Museum). Marching in Newland Street. Tall building behind them is 38 Newland Street (Glover Bros, motors and cycles. To its right, 1 Collingwood Road, 3 Collingwood Road, 5 Collingwood Road, 7 Collingwood Road, 9 Collingwood Road (7 and 9 being Lockram Villas).
Probably the same occasion as photo M457/M1895. Another copy of M1896 is photo M813, which has written on the back of the original, ‘Witham Essex, April 11th 1915. Church parade of 1st. South Mid. Field Ambulance (2nd line) R.A.M.C. (F) Capt. Kimpton [or Kempton] & Staff Sgt. Hill, followed by C Section’.
I didn’t find a newspaper report about the parade, but the Essex County Chronicle of 2 April 1915, has a report about the visit of Lord Mayor of Birmingham to RAMC Midland Division in Witham, where his son was a lieutenant.

Ref	M1896
Photographer	W E Bull, photographer, Witham & Braintree.
Date taken	11 April 1915
Source	Littlewood, Sue