People travelled from across Britain and the world for a service to mark the centenary of the HMS Princess Irene disaster.

Crowds gathered at the Sheerness War Memorial where the names of 76 dockyard workers - among 352 victims of the blast - are listed.

The assembled attendees included Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Lt Col Brian O’Gorman and Royal Navy Commander for Eastern England, Commodore Martin Atherton.

They observed two minutes’ silence, which was heralded by recorded explosions, before a playing of the last post and a reveille.

Kathy Gambell of Hope Street Church was among the readers, while Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey students formally announced the names of the disaster’s civilian dead.

Sheppey Sea Cadets formed an Honour Guard at the memorial.

After the service, a reception was held at Blue Town Heritage Centre where relatives of those killed in the explosion were able to view an exhibition dedicated to the tragedy.

Family members arrived from Australia, Northern Ireland and many parts of England to pay their respects to ancestors they never knew.

It resulted in grandchildren of David Wills, the blast’s only survivor, meeting for the first time, and Margaret Taggart from Sunderland being moved to tears at seeing a first-ever picture of her grandfather, George Turner.

Princess Irene, a passenger liner converted to a minelayer, was moored off the coast of Sheerness when it blew-up, spreading debris and body parts across a 20-mile radius.

Following the Blue Town reception, Mayor of Swale, Cllr Anita Walker, was in the leading boat of a flotilla which sailed to the disaster site to lay wreaths.

A ceremony was held on the water with prayers given by Sheerness Town Centre Chaplain, Rev Jeanette McLaren.

Chris Newman, Blue Town Heritage trustee, who organised the anniversary commemoration, said: “It was an excellent day.

“The people who came from different parts of Britain and the world said how touched they were by the sincerity of the lslanders and how friendly and welcoming Sheppey was.”