I'm not suggesting she discovered she was pregnant and arranged emigration within weeks. Mishy argued Ilona had nothing to gain from marrying WW and I I'm saying that possibly she did, in May 1969. Think of her arriving in Australia alone and pregnant, shortly to become a single mother, when single mothers were treated harshly even to the point of hospitals stealing their newborns.
The correspondence with the Renov Pubs address does indicate that she'd known WW for some time, doesn't it. It hardly seems likely at this point that anybody knew him without being conned in some way.
I have combined Mishy's idea with mine. What do you think? It's a little long-winded but it's just how I put my thoughts together today so it needs editing.
1968 - IK and WW are allegedly married in Belgium.
1968 – a business is formed between Frederick de Hedervary, Willy David-coppenolle, Ric Blum
24 May 1969 – WW flies London to Perth on 3 month holiday visa, claims
Never Married giving his address as 6 Gosbell St, Paddington possibly the address of one of IK's friends with whom they could have shared an apartment.
Does WW then fly to Sydney?
26 May 1969 – WW applies for Aus residence, now claims he
is married, 10 May 1968 in Belgium to wife IK
May 1969? IW becomes pregnant immediately WW arrives. IW and WW both need to earn money so they get a hospitality job for cash in a cafe which is owned by DdH’s parents. DdH is 18yo, a Secretary and the daughter of the owners who later meets them and they all get along well.
2 Oct 1969 – WW granted residence status due to marriage status to IK claiming they were married in 1968 in Belgium
Jan 1970 ER born to IW and WW. The Wouters & DdH exchange addresses and say they will write while they are away. WW hopes to get work there again when he returns. When WW is imprisoned, DdH and WW keep writing to each other as he needs a job on his return. I doubt that DdH and WW had a relationship in Australia or were in love earlier but maybe IW did not want anything more to do with WW/MJR after he went to prison so he worked on DdH as he knew her parents were wealthy.
15 Feb 1970 – WW, IW, baby, depart AU for Belgium. WW claims they are now divorced.
1970 – Soon after they arrive in Belgium to live with IW's parents, IW marries MJReid (WW) legally or illegally. WW has changed his name first as he "lost" his passport. He tells IW that he would prefer an English sounding name. How could WW and IW have become divorced in that short time? IMO MJReid is another alias of RB as he needs to wipe out WW criminal records. Maybe IW possibly wants to be married legally as she now has his child. She still has Australian resident status for him in his new name. She was IK on previous alleged marriage certificate so maybe not traced. MJReid is now an Australian resident by marriage again enabling RB to return to Australia when he wishes on a new passport. However, a year later, RB is arrested so IW doesn't want any more to do with him. So when he arrives in prison, he decides to continue writing to DdH and her family as he would like to work there again when he returns to Australia. He knows DdH's family is wealthy so he starts to woo her by mail from the prison. She uses a PO Box No so her parents won't find out that he is in prison.
23 Jun 1971 – WW in French prison for a long list of charges
18 Aug 1972 Marriage of Monique to Fernand Remakel
21 May 1974 – WW discharged from prison
1974 to 1975 – WW suspected return to Aus but no entry record found. MJReid returns to Sydney and works at the cafe again for cash as WW as they don't know about the Michael Reid name. His goal is to marry DdH as her parents are older and she will inherit everything. They decide they don't like the WW name so he changes it to his "family name" by Deed Poll from MJReid. DdH doesn't know about this name. He wouldn't have used Willy Wouters because he did not want there to be any connection to it. So then everyone calls him "Ric" as "Fred is a frog in Australia".
12 Feb 1976 – MJReid changes name to FDdH
20 Feb 1976 – FDdH marries DdH at Wayside Chapel.
23 Feb 1976 – FDdH applies for AU citizenship
25 Mar 1976 – FDdH AU citizenship granted and AU passport issued.