Dr Arthur Cracknell

by Vanessa Mclean
(Bangor, Northern Ireland)

I was very interested to find a photograph on here with my dad in it; I am Vanessa Cracknell Mclean, and my father was Dr Arthur Cracknell, one of the so called pioneers of chiropractic in South Africa.

I do know that he attended Lincoln College in America, not Palmer, and he told us that he decided to become a chiropractor after the second world war because he had served with someone in the army who was a chiropractor.

My dad was a prisoner of war for 3 years, and very seldom spoke about the war, so unfortunately I don't have any other information. He was a lifelong friend of Len Fisher and also of Treffor Roberts, who was a chiropractor in Vereeniging for years and years. I would imagine that Treffor is also in that photo but unfortunately it is too small for me to try and identify him.

My dad died in 1984; I so wish that he had lived to see chiropractic accepted as mainstream. He would have been so happy if he could see how accepted it is today. He was a man with such an enquiring mind, who never stopped learning throughout his life.

I am so blessed to have had him as a father, and was so glad to see him in an article crediting the early pioneers.

Dear Vanessa,
I'm so pleased you wrote!

If you'd like to put pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, I'd love to have more details of your father, and especially the outworking of his chiropractic and how he brought you up.

Magnifying glass out please, and identify Treffor Roberts.

Any idea who the chiropractor was who influenced your father during the war? Old letters? A better photo of your father?

Have any of your family continued in the profession? You can see Dr Unity Lewis, my mother, in the front row. If there are ANY others whom you could name that would be wonderful.

Especially the woman standing next to your father. There weren't many women in chiropractic back then.

I hope Bangor is treating you kindly!

Barrie Lewis DC