White Death: The humble Finnish sniper with the highest tally in the shortest time

Have you heard of the story of the world's deadliest sniper?

He's said to have killed more than 500 people in just 100 days, earning the nickname the White Death.

Simo Häyhä was in his early 30s when the Winter War broke out between the Soviet Union and Finland in 1939.

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He was a humble farmer in the far southeast of Finland. His interests included fishing, cross-country skiing and hunting.

And it was these skills he would use to deadly effect during the war.

He was a prolific sniper, deadly on the battlefield and his exploits meant morale in the Red Army took a massive hit.

He didn't use a telescopic sight, only an iron sight, so it wouldn't fog up in the cold.

Shot, but never caught

Not only was he deadly, he was also elusive, a ghost on the battlefield. He would use enemy fire to move and make sure he was never caught.

He even stuffed snow in his mouth to make sure his breath wasn't seen by the enemy.

But his luck ran out towards the end of the Winter War in 1940.

A bullet shattered his jaw, putting him into a coma, and by the time he awoke, the war was over.

He was a humble man, standing only at 5ft tall, but he left an enduring legacy on his country – a true Finnish hero.