... The irony was that Eupen-Malmedy never became part of Third Reich, they remain in occupy Belgium ! ...[/quote)
The cantons were reincorporated into the Reich. There were even postage stamps issued comemorating the action. Well over 5,000 men from the E-M cantons were directly conscripted into the Wehrmacht, as German citizens & not as expatriate 'Deutchvolk'.
not quite
the Border remain and the People from Eupen or Malmedy had use passport to cross border into Third Reich and back.
i had the chance to talk with People from Eupen, who life in that time and belief me they were Piss Off, that Border was Closed and that were used as cannon fodder for East front.
the survivors who came back from Stalingrad, face the rage of Belgium authority...
even today the People from Eupen or Malmedy are ignored by Belgium politicians and Walloon authority.
seems that East Belgian community is triple Looser in History.