Photo of an armed padre!

Recently read a book called After Daybreak about the liberation of Belsen and the medical efforts afterwards. One of the photos inside the book from the IWM shows the Jewish Chaplain of 8 Corps Leslie Hardman standing over one of the mass graves at Belsen on 21st April 1945 reading the kaddish. He is wearing a sidearm. Was it usual practice for Jewish padred in the RAChD to wear sidearms? Or was it a special dispensation becasue of the dangers inside Belsen?
Any thoughts anyone? I've never heard of a Christian Padre carrying a sidearm.

 

hi... i cannot say about british army regulations but german army regulations forbade the carrying of weapons or sidearms by their army clergy tho i do have a photo showing a german chaplain with pistol and holster which was no doubt carried for self-protection.