A service is being held next week to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the HMS Princess Irene.

The maritime disaster on May 27, 1915, claimed the lives of the 273 crew on board as well as 76 dockyard workers.

The tragedy affected many families and the Island was in mourning. Such was the force of the explosion, it was reported that body parts were found in the Sittingbourne area.

The ceremony will take place next Wednesday at 11am at the Sheerness War Memorial, Bridge Road, Sheerness, where the names of the dockyard workers are written.

Readings will be given in various denominations and school children will be giving a roll call of those who died.

About 50 families, whose relatives were killed that day, have been invited to the commemorations, with some travelling from as far away as Australia, Tasmania and Canada.

Blue Town Heritage Centre will be hosting a private gathering for them on the day and last month the site unveiled an exhibition, with a model of the ship, about the tragedy.

Some of the family members will later be going out on a boat from Queenborough Harbour to the ship’s exact spot, about eight miles from the coast of Sheerness, to lay wreaths on the water.

The cause of the explosion is still not certain. A faulty primer could have been responsible, although evidence at the official inquiry showed the work of priming lethal mines was being carried out in a hurry and by untrained personnel.

It was the second disaster to befall Sheppey in six months after HMS Bulwark blew up off Sheerness with a loss of 600 lives.

Blue Town Heritage Centre director Jenny Hurkett said: “It was a huge loss of life that, combined with the Bulwark explosion a few months earlier, meant that nearly 1,000 men gave their lives.

"This is something that is not known by the general public outside of the Island so the significance is this needs to be recognised.

“The main funding for the Sheerness War Memorial was collected locally to build a memorial to these two explosions - that is why it is there.”

• Don't miss this coming week's Times Guardian and News Extra for special report on the disaster and those affected.