Career
Commander of the Batalion Parasol during the Warsaw Uprising, known under his codename Ziutek, he was also a notable poet of the occupation period. Many of his poems were made into songs. The most notable one was "Pałacyk Michla".
Szczepanski spent his childhood in several places, such as Łęczyca, Grudziądz, Jablonna and finally, some time in mid-1930s, he moved with the family to Warsaw.
During the Polish September Campaign, he fled with parents to Volhynia, then moved to Rzeszów and Dębica. Finally, some time in the early 1940s, he returned to the capital of Poland.
Back in Warsaw, Józef Szczepański continued his education in underground courses. Interrupted by the German and Soviet attack on Poland.
He also joined the Polish resistance (see: Szare Szeregi), becoming an officer candidate.
Szczepanski was the soldier of the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company Agat of the Batalion Parasol, he publicly recited his first poem "Dzis ide walczyc - mamo" ("Today, I am going fighting, mother"), on December 31, 1943 in a house at 12 Swietojanska street in Warsaw. Soon afterwards, he became a bard of Parasol During the Warsaw Uprising he was a squad leader in the Batalion Parasol (mostly composed of youths, many of them from Szare Szeregi underground scouting). He took command of the entire unit after its previous commander was killed.
Wounded on the same day (1 September) in Warsaw Old Town, he was evacuated by his soldiers to Warszawa-Śródmieście but would die on 10 September.